Article handling apparatus



W. J. FEDORCHAK ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS March 20, 1945.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 29, 1943 Ummm,

March 20 1945. w. J. FEDoRcHAK ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 29, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 20, 1945. w.V J. FEDoRcHAK ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS 4 sheets-sheet '3 Filed Jan. 29, 1943 March zo, 1945. W- J FEDORCHAK 2,371,748`

' ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 29, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3 1 www [nfl-J olanchak:

Patented Mar. zo, 1945 i t 2,371,743;

cm1-ensures 'PATENT-ottreeif{jg-2 u i jfzla'zig'zis'fff ,e e l,

s ARTICLE HANDLING A`1 rA1tArUs` f William J. Fedoro'hak, Granite city, 1111.assigner` "1 to Owens-IllinslyGlass Qompany, a corpora.-

tioaofohio l Application 'January 29, 1943, Serial No.` 473,908 Y ltjittitnal y (c1. ies-25101 .jf o.

My invention relates to apparatus for convey-r ln general terms,` the apparatus comprises an f ing articles to a predeterminediposition; for ex endless conveyor l5, to whichthearticlesAare: ample, to a machine for gaging or testing the artidelivered from a cross-belt-conveyor Ilv (Fig-. 1)

cles and `thereafter conveyingxthe articles" awayf at the discharge end of Lan annealing "leer fI l.l .The

from `such.positicnyan'dA alsoincludes automati-l l5V conveyor I5 which mayibefdriveriicontinubusly,

cally operated selectivemeans for segregatingde` carries the articles t0 antappal'atll's' ccmprising a fective ware `from the articles whichhav'e passed: carriage |8,..on 1which` article carrying `heads i I9 the test. f t z t u' are mounted and arranged'in an-annula'rseriesv An object ofimy inventionV is to` provide a novelz The carriage is intermittently rotated 'step-bye' and practical apparatus for handling bottles, jars, 10 step `for bringing" each head I9 4to stations nume or other ware, car'ryinglthem on 'asinglelineconbered Ito'tl. Each headcomprisesa pair of 'gri`pveyor and delivering them to a testing or gaging ping J'aWS Which are automatically Opened atSta-` machine and after they are tested, returningthem, tion l for receiving an article from the ccilveycl;V

` particularly the rotatable carriag tothe conveyor by `which they may be transferred the jaws being then closed to grip the article.I wAt' tol a `packing station or other; desiredlposition, j; A 15, station 3Lthe jaws are opened to releasethe `article A further object of the `invention isjtoA provide# to 'a -testing or gaging machine 14.5 'fAtert `the i means by which articleswhichhave'failed to meet i article has been tested it is again deliVeIedttO the the required tests are segregated from 'the other carrying` head and conveyed to stationff :andI` articles.A unless it has beenregistered as defectivegbys the A furtherf object` ofthe invention is to'provide` 20 testing machine, iScaIIied t0 Station 5. .'ltzthe novel means for inverting the articles after they latter, the-jaws` are. againpopenedA for; delivering have been gaged or tested, tofacilitate inspections i the :tested article. t0 the "cOIiVeYDr s l 5rbyf which ity Other objects of the invention will appear here;` is transferred to a; rotary packingtable 21).., D uri inafter. y e 1 ing the movement-of the head Isgbetweenfstations. `Referring tothe accompanying drawings: 1r 25`3la11d4rit iS autcmaticallyrctatedabout ahcl y 1 is a diagrammatic plan view' of an appa-t zontal` axisradial to the carriageas,hereinafterf` ratus embodying the principles of my inventionV described'forinvetting. thealticle SQ that thelatf and designed for handling jars or like articles. y ter `is delivered in an inverted pcsitionto the .conf

Fig. 2 is a plan view on a larger scale, showing .Veycratstation `Whenfail article failStc pass q 30 thetestto whichtissubjectedbythegaging-orY t Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the app ratus` testing machine, the latter,` operates lto` establish l. taken-centrally of the carriage. g acircuityforan e1ectromagnet}|.(1fgs.5 and 6)...

Fig. 4 is a section at theline '4-4 on-Fig. 3 The latterioperatesmechanismforfautomatically showing aportion of the driving mechanism. opening the holding-jawsuby;whichrfthedefectiye Fig 5 is a part sectional plan View adjacentthe 3 article is carried When the, latter ',ieachesr Station upper end of the `carriage drive shaft, but with 4 vand `thereby discharges .the article,before` it the carriage removed. i reaches the conveyor l5. Inhthisrnanne'the dev Fig. 6 is a similar; view at'a somewhat .lowerfective articlesfareseparated fromftholsefwhich plane and with the parts in diferent positions., are deliveredfto the .packing station..- y; i.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan showing 40 A,.1.1101edetaileddescriptientcfthe l Dparatils particularly the means for automatically opening Will 110Wlcagiv'eil` Referringpallticlllallvtc Figl apairof gripping jaws `for discharging adefec- 3, the intermttentlytctatillfg carl'iagelis Supe... tive article. j t i ported on" a"`frameworlincluding abaSe Zylinthe i Fig. 8 isa sectionl at the line-8+-8 on Figa?.y form of a, casing whiclprovides aliousing`for a V .Fig..9.is afragmentary `sectional view showing 45 Geneva' driving mechanism."Standardsl y and one of the article carrying heads anda meansfor 21|V (Fig. `3) `,are,bc'lted Qtothe'base 21.A AA recactuatin'g the holding jaws. t rtangular platform 2`5(Fi`gs\, 3,.5, an d 6)1 on whichl t. t Fig. 10is a sectional elevation showing means thefcarriagenlf is mounted, issnpporfed on;V an for holding one ofthe heads against rotation. upper framel'i whichvisfrnountedior vertical adr Fig. 11 is a sectional plan showing the Genevav 50 justment in gudewaysrin the standards 2,3 and" gear drive. l i 24'.' Means foriadjustiiigthe frame `2E"and care The apparatus as herein illustrated and def` riage up` and down includes avertical'shaft'l scribed, is particularly'adapted for handling bot-` screw threaded through abushing inl the frame 26 tles or jars A, but'the invention is notlimi'tedto' andjour'n'alediabearingboii' 2B on' the machine such use. i 55" base." 'I'he shaft"`21s rotatablemanuallyffor ad r The carriage I8 comprises a horizontal circular rotation of theshaft. Supplemental means for holding the jaws horizontal includes detents 64 individual to said shafts. Each detent is formed with a pair of slide bars `64a slidably mounted for vertical movement in cylindrical bearing blocks 64b mounted in the plate 32. The detent is yieldingly held against the head 62 by a coil compression spring 65. In'this manner the shaft 50 and the gripping. jaws carried thereby, are held steady plate 32 which, as shown, is provided with anl integral depending flange or skirt 33 in which."

the heads I9 are rotatably mounted. The carriage includes a central shaft 34fconnected to thev plate 32 through a flanged bushing 35 bolted to said plate and in which the shaft is keyed.4 'Ihe carriage is driven by means of an electric motor (not shown) having driving connections including a belt and pulley 36 (Figs. 3, 4, and 11)', the pulley being mounted on a worinl shaft 31 journaled inv the, housing 22. A worm 312 on said shaft drives aworm gear 38 keyed to a shaft 39. Theshaft 39roperates through a Geneva gear drive to impart intermittentrotation toa shaft 46 journaled inthe-gear box 22. The Geneva drive, which maybe of conventional `construc- 3 tion, includes rotaryrdisk-shaped members 4I and 42 keyed to the shafts 39"'and' 46 respectively. Themember carries a driver 43 which engages radial guideways 44 in the disk 42. for rotating the latter; The'shaft 40 extends upwardly above the casing 22 andv has a driving connection'with a shaft45 journaled in the frame 26 and adjustable up anddown with the carriage. The said connection includesia tubular' shaftI section 46 keyedto the shaft 45 and splined on the shaft 40. The shaft145carries'at its upper end a pinion 41 which .drives 'ai gear 48 keyed tothecarria'ger Each of the heads I9 includesy a tubular shaft 50 (Fig. 9)*V extending radially of the carriage and journaledin'thefange 33. Fixed to' the outer offjaws A2faremounted to swing on pivots '53. Means` forswinging the jaws about'their pivots includesl an actuating rod 54 extending'lengthwise throughv thetubular shaft 50 and operatively Y.

connected withthe jaws by a pair of links'55. The'jaws lare swung to an article gripping position by a coilfspringf'56` housed in the shaft 50 and held undery compression by a head 51 on the rod 54. The jawsv aregfaced with a padding 58 of rubber' or other soft material. i

vThe carriagelis'intermittently rotated step-by-v step by means of the Geneva drive, theggearing being so proportioned that each head is' brought A to rest at leachof the stations I to 8 in succession. Each head while moving from station 3 to'station 4 is rotated aboutits axis through 180 by means ofa stationary segmental gear 59 `(Fig.V 5) which "rotates a pinion 6U. secured to thev shaft 56. In'

this manner' each of the jars-A is swung from an. upright positionand delivered to the conveyorin aninverted positionat station 5'. l

sion'II'V andkeyed thereto, is a collar 161 formed independently of any irregularities in the track In order to permit the inverting movement 'ofthe heads I9, the flange Vor track 6I is cut away along the'gear 59.

`Each pair of jaws is opened and closed at station I for receiving and gripping an article A,

and aty station 5 fordischarging it, by mechanism which will now be described.

' Referring to Figs.` 3, 5,`and 6, the plate 25 is formed with a cylindrical extension 66 concentric with the shaft 34 and within which the latter is journaled. Surrounding the upper end of eXtenwith anannular ange 68. y Surrounding the eX'- tensiorr- 66: directly' beneath the collar 61,. is va tubular member orsleeve'69 adapted to oscillate about the'axisofr the shaft 3'4. The member 69 is formed-at its lower` end with van annularv ange 16 which rests on the plate 25. Pivotally mounted onthe underside of the stationary flange 68` by lmeans of pivot bolts 10', are dogs 1I, 12, and 13, each of which is formed with a lug 14 (Figs. 3, 8,'

9) 'which projects downward into position to engage theheads 51 for operating'the gripping jaws. The oscillating `sleeve 69 is connected tothe dogs 1I, 12, and 13 for swinging the latter about their pivots 1I, by means of links 15 which are pivoted at their opposite ends respectively to the dogs and to the sleeve'69. j f

'I he means for oscillating the sleeve 69 comprises the .Geneva disk 4I' (Figi Il) the peripheryA of which is shaped to vformv a cam track on which runs a cam follower roll 16l on a rockarm 1-1 keyed to a vertical rock shaft 18. Secured to the upper end of therock shaft is a rock arm 19,

to theY outer end of which is pivoted one end of The heads [9 are positivelyheld against'rotation abouttheir axes except when under the controlv of. the segmental gear 59, by means of an annular flangellformed on the. plate 2.5. Asl

shown in Figsg and 10, theshaft is formed'.

with ahead or enlargement 62 in the. form of a a link 8U, `The link vextendsinwardly within a recess 8I in the 'plate 25 and at its inner end is connected by a. pivot B2 'to the flange 16 of the oscillating member 69. The cam roll 16 (Fig. 1l)` is held against the cam by f avcoil spring 83. The cam disk 4I has a re-entrantportion 84 which allowsthe rock armf11to1swing inward' from the full line to the .broken line position and remain in the latter position during the intermittent movement ofthe carriage. When the rock arm is thus swung inwardlyv (Fig. 1I) the shaft 18 is' rocked and swings the rockarm 1'9 inwardly from the Fig. 6 tothe Fig. 5 position. This operates through :the oscillating member to swing the dogs 1I, 12, and 13v inwardly, so that the jaws 52 are vfree to be swung by the springs 56 (Fig. 9) to article gripping'position. In this manner each carrier I9 operates` to grip articles atstations I and-3 and advance them' with the carriage to the next station. At 'statiorr'5ithe` articleV is released tothe conveyor I5' and'. theicarrier then travels empty-until it again reachesrstation I. vWhen the they rock arm 19 isswung tothe Fig. 6 position and the member 69 rotated in a clockwise direction, thereby swinging the' dogs about their pivots and causing them to openl the article gripping jaws atstations I, 3, and 5. The cam 84 is preferably designed to effect the opening of the-grip` .tionary pivot 87.

'ping ljaws*immediacy' after fthe carnage is brought to rest after each-step rotation and'to permit the jaws to closejustbefore. the carriag commences its next step movement.

The operation of the dog 12 at station 3, releases the jar A at said station to a'pad or holder 85 forming part of the gaging or testing machine I4; The pad 85 is then moved upward so that the jar'is lifted to a gaging or testing position. The gaging machine Vmay, for example, comprise means for gaging the-diameter of the jar nish or for making other tests. Such a gaging machine is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2.327,629. Gauging machine, granted in my name August 24, 1943. After the tests are completed, the pad B is lowered to `return the jar into-position to be gripped bythe jaws so that atthe next step movement ofthe carriage, the jar is carried to station 4.

i If the jar has met therequired tests, it is retained in the gripping jaws until it reaches-station 5. If, on the other hand, it .is defective, the gaging apparatus operates automatically to establish an electrical circuit for the electromagnet 2| (Fig. 6) which then operates through suitable mechanism to eiect the opening of the gripping jaws at station 4 and thereby releasesl and l discharges4 the defective jar. The means actuated by the electromagnet includes a lever 86 (Figs. 5 to 8) mounted to swing about a sta- One end of the lever is connected through a link 88 to the electromagnet core. Pivotallymounted in the flange lll of the oscillating sleeve 69 is a rock shaft 89 (Figs. 7 and 8) carrying rock arms 89 and 8| at its upper and lower ends respectively. The arm 8l is formed with a depending finger 824 When the electromagnet is energized, it swings the lever 86 from the broken line Vto the full line position (Fig. '7) and thereby moves a shoulder 90 at the free end of the lever, behind the ringer 82. When the oscillatingr member 69 is rotated in a clockwise direction by means of the `rock arm '19, as before described, it carries with it the pivot pin 89 and as the linger 82' is held by the shoulder 90, the shaft 89 is given a rocking movement about its axis, by which the outer end of the arm 80' .is swung outwardly. The arm 80 is so positioned that it engages the head 51 at station 4 and thereby opens the jaws for releasing the defective jar at said station. When the l `Modifications may be spiritandfscopeofmy'invention: f e

Iclaim: '4 'g n f `l l. The combination offacarriage, vmeans lfor rotating it intermittently about a, vertical axis;

an annular series'of article 'gripping units on the carriage, each comprising `gripping jaws, spring means formoving the jaws to articleg'ripping" position, means forswinging the jaws to article' releasing position at a plurality of stations, said releasing means includingan actuating member mounted for oscillating movementV about the axis of the carriage, meansrfor oscillating said member about said axis while the carriageis at'rest, dogs' mounted tol swing aboutaxesfhaving fixed positions relativeto` the axis of the carriage, links connecting "the dogs to said oscillating member, and means actuatedbysaiddogs for swinging the jaws to open positiorilatpredeterrninedsta-` tions, an electromotive device, and means aca--l tuated by saidfelectromotive device for opening the'grippingfjaws 'of "a unit lat another predetermined stationl f i 2. Article handling apparatus comprising in combination means for conveying articles in succession to a receiving station, and transfer mechanism including means for transferring each article from said receiving station to a plurality of succeeding stations, said transfer 'mechanism including a. rotary carriage, an article gripping unit on said carriage including a pair of gripping jaws and spring actuated mechanism for closing the jaws and thereby gripping an article, means for rotating the carriage step-by-step and thereby bringing the said unit to each of a series of stations in succession,` automatic means operable at certain of said stations to open the jaws and thereafter release them 'to the jaw closing mechanism, leaving said mechanism free to maintain the jaws in gripping position at the other of said stations, mechanism operable automatically to open the jaws at one of said last mentioned staelectromagnet is de-energized and the lever 8G returned, it releases the finger 82", permitting a coil tension spring 9| to rock the shaft 89 and swing the arm 80 inwardly out of the path of the heads 51. The operation ofthe electromagnet is controlled by timing mechanism and is timed to operate when the defective jar is at station 4.

In order to control the movements of the jars the gate is in the Fig. 5 position and prevents the g .lars from advancing. When the shaft 'I8 is rocked to open the gripping jaws (Fig. 6) the gate swings to the Fig. 6 position and releases the foremost jar. The tail end 91 of the gate, at the same time is moved into the path of the next succeeding jar, thus permitting a single jar at a time to be advanced to the gripping jaws.

tionsforreleasing selected articles, and automatic means for holding said last mentioned mechanism in' an inoperative position while other articles are at said last mentioned station,

3. Article transfer mechanism comprising a carriage mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, means for rotating the carriage, an article gripping unit on the carriage comprising a pair of gripping jaws, a `member mounted for oscillation about the axis of the carriage, a dog mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis having a fixed position relative to the axis of the carriage, a link connecting said oscillating member with the dog, means for oscillating said member and thereby operating through said link to swing the dog about its pivot, andmeans actuated by the dog for opening said jaws. l

4. Article transfer mechanism comprising a carriage mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, means for rotating the carriage, an article gripping unit on the carriage comprising a pair of grippingjaws, a member mounted for oscillation about the axis of the carriage, a dog mounted for pivotal movement .about a vertical axis having a xed position relative t0 the axis of the carriage, a link connecting said oscillating member with the dog, means for oscillating said member and thereby operating through said linkto swing the dog ab'out its pivot, and means actuated by said dog for swinging the jaws to open position l for releasing an article held thereby, said last mentioned means including a rod in the path of said dog, links connecting said rod to said jaws.

'resorted to' vitrinaA the" inwardly toward the axis of the carriage and thereby Swing the jaws to article gripping posi-` tion, dogs each mounted toswing about a Vertical axis having a xed position relative to the axis ofthe said carriage., a member mounted to oscillebtey about lthe axis of the. carriage, links connecting the dogs with said member, the dogs' being positioned to be swung into engagement with said rods, and. means for oscillating `Said member and thereby causing the dogs to move said rods put.- Y

war-diy for moving the gripping jaws to article releasing position.

asc-mcs 6- Article transfer mechanism comprising a carriage mounted ior rotation about a vertical axis, article gripping units arranged. in an. annular series on the carriage, means for rotating the carriage intermittently step-by-step and thereby bringing said units in succession tq a dis-Y charging station, each said unit comprising a pair of gripping jaws, means for actuating said jaws comprising a member mounted for oscillation about the axis of the carriage, a rock shaft mounted to rock in said member, rock arms connected to the rock shaft, means for oscillating said meinber, a stop device movable into the path oi one of said rock arms and thereby operable to cause the rock shaft to be rocked about its axis when the said member is oscillated, and means actuated by the other said rock arm for actuating the ggipf ping jaws ofca saidunit at the discharging station and thereby releasing an article from said WILLIAM J FEDORCHAK. 

